Second Thoughts
by kaihou
Summary: RxA. A pointless short fic for those hopeless romantics. Ranma Saotome is caught with his ‘cute’ fiancées hanging all over him and is malleted by Akane once again. Akane is given a lesson on love by Ukyo and Ranma rants! What happens next? R&R!
1. Ranma's Ego

**Second Thoughts - Chapter 1**: Ranma's Ego

A Ranma ½ fanfiction by Kaihou Toriyama

Ranma Saotome is caught with his 'cute' fiancées hanging all over him and is malleted by Akane once again. While Ranma is fuming in his room, Akane gets a lecture on love by Ukyo. Akane thinks Ranma hates her, and what's gonna happen? Ranma takes action, that's what!

_**Disclaimer:** I did not create nor do I own Ranma ½! Rumiko Takahashi does and I do not take any credit in that. If I did, then I would do so with some dignity and would have actually worked with Rumiko Takahashi! Not. xD_

I flop down on my futon and fume.

Holy crap! Why does that girl always have to get so mad? I never do anything to her and she goes ripping my head off… okay, maybe I didn't do anything this time, but she's still out to kill me!

I sit up and rub the back of my head where Akane whacked me… Damn, she can hit hard for a girl. Why do I let her hit me all the time? I'm the master at martial arts! I'm not gonna let some uncute fiancée whack me repeatedly all the time. And someday I have to live the rest of my life with her as a wife? I think not! By the time the wedding would be over, I'd be dead for not tying my shoe or something!

...Wait… wedding? Ugh… I'm starting to think like Pop and Mr. Tendo. Akane does hit hard. Why couldn't Pop get a hot babe to marry me? I'd be happy with that. Akane is soooo not a hot babe. What, I saw her naked at least twice—she ain't so hot. Soooo not a hot babe.

…Yeah…

I snap myself out of it and try to disregard the huge throbbing at the back of my head to remember what had just happened. Ah, yes…

Shampoo.

Ukyo.

Attack.

Yeah, that about sums it up. I was just minding my own business after school when I see Shampoo and Ukyo fighting over me… again. So, trying to make myself invisible, I slyly ducked behind the bushes and started running from there—well, tried to at least. Clever, right? I know. But you know what? Ukyo's smart too and she knew the rustling from the bushes wasn't just some bird or something.

So. Ukyo runs from the battle to, well, glomp me. Then Shampoo sees this and tries to tear Ucchan off to glomp me too. Maybe I'm just too hot for my own good.

Then came Akane, trying to make me eat some of her toxins once again. She sees me. With Shampoo glomping me from behind and Ucchan wrapping her arms around my neck. Bad image, right? Both were begging (more like seducing) me to go eat their restaurant for edible food. After that, I could've sworn she would have killed all three of us right then and there. But she didn't touch us. No, she had to do something worse.

Much, _much_ worse.

She calmly asked Ucchan and Shampoo to try some of her so-called cookies. Of course, they make the lamest excuses.

"No thank you, violent girl! I insist you give to spatula girl! She look very hungry and cannot wait to try violent girl's food!" Shampoo said, though Ucchan really looked like she was about to die.

"Well, Akane, I'd really love to, uh, have some, but, uh… I had a huge lunch! And I don't want to spoil my appetite for dinner! Oh, that reminds me, I have to make it! Right now. Yep." Ugh. What a great best friend I have there. It's not even near dinner time! Fine, Ucchan. Be that way.

Akane stared at Ucchan. She had this hilarious expression on. "But it's only four o'—"

"Oh! Stupid Mousse is coming! Have to lead him to nowhere so he get lost for while." I looked around. I saw no Mousse. Nice plan, Shampoo. I feel some pity for the duck-boy though. They both run off at the speed of well… they run off really fast—leaving me, the lone soldier, to die alone.

Then Akane looked at me.

Oh Kami-sama. I thought my life was over. I mean, that _look_ in her eyes. You'd think that I'd be dead with a knife in my eye by just looking at her.

So, I figured that getting my fiancée back to thinking who I was just with and what I was doing would be better than committing suicide via her 'cookies'.

"Look Akane, it wasn't what it looked like." Explaining was as easy as singing a song. And I definitely _cannot_ sing. "Ukyo and Shampoo grabbed me when I was trying to get away! _I_ didn't glomp them! They glomped me!"

And Akane looked wayyy ticked. Damn, sang the wrong note.

She malleted me to the ground with one swift hit and then kicked me hard so that I flew up high, well over the school.

"I so did _not_ deserve that! Not one bit! I wasn't doing anything. Just innocently walking home… Stupid tomboy! She never lets me explain! If she'd just let me explain once, then maybe—"

Someone knocked on the door. _Knocked_ for once. I knew it wasn't Pop so it was probably Kasumi with the laundry.

"Come in!" Oh wait, was I just ranting out loud about Akane? Maybe not, 'cause if it was Akane, she wouldn't have bothered to knock and just came right in dressed as Death…

"Ranma…?"

To my surprise, I do see Akane at the door. She's not mad; in fact, she looks miserable. My heart beats faster. But for some reason, it wasn't out of fear. That always happens when I see Akane if she's not out to get me… But that would mean—no, it's gotta be fear.

"Uh, hi 'Kane." Oh yeah, smooth, Romeo. Wait, Romeo? What the hell's wrong with me? Keep a straight face, idiot!

"I heard you talking about me…" Crap. "You're… right. I have been unfair and I never let you explain anything…" Oh Kami, it's worse than I thought! She must be possessed again!

"Are you feeling all right, Akane?"

She snaps. "Of course I am, baka! Just explain what happened before I change my mind!" Ah, there's the Akane I know and… WHAT?! Stupid voice in my head. I never asked for some uncute tomboy as a fiancée. Snap out of it!

…I notice that Akane is beginning to get impatient and is about to mallet me to oblivion. I then explain to her the whole incident. Throughout it, Akane looks like she was guilty of killing someone. I tense up.

"I did that…?"

"Wait, it's okay, 'Kane. I'm used to it! You think I could ever get physically hurt by you? No way! I'm the best martial artist around! Don't… don't make yourself feel guilty. 'Cause that didn't hurt one bit!" the statement came out less forcefully than I planned it to. Actually, it came out _way_ less forcefully; more like a good-hearted tease. For a second, I thought she would kick me and my stupid ego sky-high, but thankfully, she didn't. The least I can hope for is that she cheers up from my idiocy.

She does something completely unexpected—she collapses onto me and cries. Aw, man… "I'm sorry, Ranma…" She sobs. "I guess I really am a violent tomboy." She starts to clutch my silk Chinese shirt and cry more. The only time she's ever done this was… in my daydreams. Am I even awake? Well, if it is a daydream, I don't ever wanna wake up.

Something tells me to wrap my arms around her and hold her tight, and I do. I feel pretty awkward just holding my arms out while a chick is crying on my chest. It feels… right, anyway. "Hey, I said don't worry about it, 'Kane. If ya gotta blame someone, blame my old man for getting all these extra fiancées!" Man, she's soft—and warm too. I have the slightest feeling that she'll hurt me and call me a pervert, so I reluctantly let go. I hold her away from me to show her my smiling face. She smiles back at me.

"You know, around the time I first met you, I promised Kasumi I wouldn't hurt anyone in anger again," she suddenly gets sad again and looks down. "I guess I'm really not living up to my promise." She sighs sadly.

Say something, macho man! "Hey, feelings make up the Art!" My finger somehow finds its way to lift up her chin. I look at her shining brown eyes… oh crap. That was a bad move. "Like what makes you fiercer is anger." I can feel my voice start to stutter. "…what makes you reckless is depression, and the things that make you d-distracted are worries and daydreams, and what makes you stronger and gives you a will to fight is…" luckily I stop myself from getting too sappy… but I can't get myself to tear my eyes away from hers. At least I have the self control to restrain my lips from pressing against hers.

Barely.

I have this slight hope that she'll say "Oh Ranma! I love you so much!" and then she would throw herself into my arms and kiss me deep and passionately. Then I would kiss her back and go "Akane, I love you too and I want to spend the rest of my life with you" and I would sound so dramatic like the hot guy I am. Then we would live happily ever after.

But she doesn't. She's still looking up at me with those beautiful eyes of hers. So I continue, slightly disheartened. "So don't worry about it, its okay! Apology, accepted." Once again, I try to take my eyes away from hers, but I can't. I think there's like some invisible glue, if not, there's an evil side of Akane trying to hypnotize me. How was it even possible to call this girl 'uncute'?

I pull her into another embrace. It's the only thing I can think of to keep my lips from steeling hers. Part of me wished for her to mallet me to oblivion so then I would actually know what to do. The other part wished that we could stay like this forever: me holding Akane tightly, all alone with no interruptions—or at least advance—the situation is like a dream come true, anyway. "Thanks for listening…" I somehow manage to say. Pathetic.

She looks up at me and smiles. "I'm glad I asked…" _C'mon, you insensitive jerk, say something!_ I could easily imagine her saying that. I gather up my courage... this was a perfect time.

"Akane… I—" that damned door suddenly bursts open.


	2. Akane's View on Things

**Second Thoughts - Chapter 2:** Akane's Point of View

A Ranma ½ fanfiction by Kaihou Toriyama

_**Disclaimer:** I did not create nor do I own Ranma ½! Rumiko Takahashi does and I do not take any credit in that. If I did, then I would do so with some dignity and would have actually worked with Rumiko Takahashi! Not. xD_

"I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!" I yell out to no one in particular. I do all this cooking for him, and he suddenly just rants on about his numerous fiancées! How can a man be innocent for having women woo him every second? Exactly, he can't!

I wasn't going to let the sight of Ukyo and Shampoo give Ranma a skip-Akane's-cooking coupon, so I ignored his cute fiancées. But my plan fails when he deliberately points them out and I mallet that insensitive jerk sky-high.

I throw my cookies into my school briefcase and start to walk back home. I really bet he lets them cling onto him so he can show off how macho-manly he is. He's such a jerk! Why do I even try?

…because he really isn't such a jerk… Kami, I really wish that he could be nice to me for once.

…Ugh! Like that's going to happen! He's an insensitive pervert, that's what he is!

Dodging a spatula interrupts my thoughts.

"Ukyo, what the hell do you want?!" I am _so_ not in the mood right now.

"Akane, why?!" she throws another spatula at me. What is she talking about?

"Why, what?" I say as I dodge more of her cooking utensils.

"Why do you always hurt Ranchan?" she comes at me with her huge, oversized spatula.

I'm momentarily stunned at her question from out of the blue and she uses this chance to pin me down to the concrete wall.

"Well, what do you think? He deserves it, of course!" I try to release myself from her grip, but she's stronger than me.

My response just makes her angrier and she pulls back her spatula for added force. I brace myself for her hit, but it never comes.

I open my eyes and I see her face had softened to an expression of full sadness. I'm right about to disarm her when her words strike me. "…does he?" She backs off of me and goes into defense.

"All you do is attack him out of jealousy and rage! And you think he deserves that when you don't even listen to him?"

"Shut up!" I thrust myself towards her. I don't want to listen to this.

She easily dodges my attacks and I'm starting to lose my breath. "Just listen, Akane. I've talked to him before and he's said that he does deserve those beatings—because he feels like he's cheating on you. Though I think he doesn't deserve this abuse from you, and you don't deserve abuse from him. If you continue this, Akane, you'll both end up genuinely hating each other and you'll lose him." It doesn't seem like she actually talked to him about this, but her words seem to hurt more than her weapons.

My whole body suddenly feels numb. I want to run away, but somehow I'm frozen in place. All I can do is collapse on the ground.

I hardly notice that Ukyo jumps back only to sheath her weapon. "Ran-chan really is the sweetest guy around if you let him be, but you're too busy whacking him all over Nerima. Out of all the things he's done, he's never deserved abuse by the woman he loves most. _Never_. And then there you are, never listening to him."

She's right.

"Someday he'll realize that and he'll leave you. He won't come back to protect you. He won't come back to save you. He won't come back to love you. He's my best friend, and I don't want anyone to hurt him like that. And if he's lucky, he'll find someone far better than the likes of you."

I want to cry, but the tears just won't come. My chest is throbbing like someone reached their hand inside me and ripped my heart out.

She turns around. I think she wants to leave me alone to rot in my own guilt.

But instead, she does something completely unexpected. "Unless, that is," she turns around to face me and she… smiles? "You apologize." And with that, she gives the brightest smile and hops onto a roof to return to Ucchan's.

That last moment put my shattered heart back together again and gave me new hope. Why is Ukyo trying to get us together anyway? Wait, did she just say Ranma was her best friend, and not the fiancée that was only hers?

A smile played along my lips as I run home with full determination.

I enter and take off my shoes at the door. I see a Kasumi in sight so I assume that she's cleaning the kitchen or something. I walk to Ranma's room, I was really hyped up but there was no need to run. I'm pretty much about to knock when I hear his voice.

"I so did _not_ deserve that! Not one bit!" I guess he's still mad… "I wasn't doing anything. Just innocently walking home…" My heart sinks and I once again become sad. "Stupid tomboy! She never lets me explain! If she'd just let me explain once, then maybe—"

I decide I've heard enough and knock on the door.

"Come in!"

I take a deep breath. "Ranma…?"

I step into the room.

"Uh, hi 'Kane." I see his face start to twitch a little bit… any other hour I would have laughed my head off.

"I heard you talking about me…" and every last bit was true. "You're… right. I have been unfair and I never let you explain anything…" Never.

"Are you feeling all right, Akane?"

Who does he think he is?! I'm apologizing for once! "Of course I am, baka! Just explain what happened before I change my mind!" Idiot.

He just smiles for a bit. Then he makes this slightly disgusted face. I'm starting to get impatient with this guy… I think he notices this and he starts talking. He goes on about how he didn't deserve it. And he didn't… not at all.

"I did that…?" he nods, but I don't think he notices he does. I just feel a lot worse.

He suddenly loses his ego and looks worried. "Wait, it's okay, 'Kane. I'm used to it! You think I could ever get physically hurt by you? No way! I'm the best martial artist around!" Maybe spoke too soon… "Don't… don't make yourself feel guilty. 'Cause that didn't hurt one bit!" he sounded way more concerned than he probably wanted. Usually I would've hurt him by now, but his self-centered ego didn't cheer me up at all. I just got even more depressed that I hurt him all the time.

Ukyo's words came slashing back at me. _Out of all the things he's done, he's never deserved abuse by the woman he loves most. Never._ Now that I think of it, I bet he doesn't even love me at all.

I collapse onto him and cry. "I'm sorry, Ranma…" _He'll leave you. _"I guess I really am a violent tomboy." I'm hardly aware that I'm clutching his shirt. _He won't come back._ I feel the salty tears reach my lips and cry more.

_If's he's lucky, he'll find someone far better than the likes of you._ No! I don't want to loose him… I feel something warm and strong wrap around me. "Hey, I said don't worry about it, 'Kane. If ya gotta blame someone, blame my old man for getting all these extra fiancées!" Why is he hugging me? Why doesn't he just save me the trouble and say he hates me? I think he somehow gets a hold of my thoughts because he holds me away from himself. He smiles sincerely at me, so I'm helpless to smile back.

He probably thinks I've gone mute by now so I speak up. "You know, around the time I first met you, I promised Kasumi I wouldn't hurt anyone in anger again," I feel the sadness returning to me and look down. "I guess I'm really not living up to my promise." I sigh lightly once more.

"Hey, feelings make up the Art!" He lifts up my chin with a finger and I see the sincerity in his eyes. "Like what makes you fiercer is anger." His voice stutters. "…what makes you reckless is depression, and the things that make you d-distracted are worries and daydreams, and what makes you stronger and gives you a will to fight is…" he fades off. I thought he was about to say 'love' but I guess his ego can't handle it. I still can't tear my eyes away from his. Now I just want him to kiss me and say that he loves me.

It looks like he can barely keep his lips from mine… But I'm probably being too hopeful. I'm on the verge of crying once more, but I don't want to embarrass myself in front of him again.

He continues, sounding a little sad. "So don't worry about it, its okay! Apology, accepted." That should have cheered me up, but it didn't. He seems so concerned. Maybe he's just trying to make me feel better because he's honor-bound to me.

I'm slightly surprised when he pulls me into another embrace. I really wanted him to kiss me. "Thanks for listening…" he whispered into my ear.

I move my head back to look at him and smile. "I'm glad I asked…" Maybe… just maybe he… I waited for his words.

"Akane… I—" the door abruptly bursts open.


	3. Oh Great

**Second Thoughts – Chapter 3: Oh Great.**

A Ranma ½ fanfiction by Kaihou Toriyama

_**Disclaimer:** I did not create nor do I own Ranma ½! Rumiko Takahashi does and I do not take any credit in that. If I did, then I would do so with some dignity and would have actually worked with Rumiko Takahashi! Not. xD_

Stupid door!

"Isn't this great, Tendo-kun? Our schools will finally be united!" Augh. Damn Pop… always getting in the way.

"Oh! Joyous day!" Mr. Tendo broke into tears like he usually did.

I notice that Akane is extremely close to me and my arms are wrapped around her. Somehow, she had gotten _her_ arms around _my_ neck.

There was this huge flash of light. "Smile, Mr. and Mrs. Smith! This'll go on the Christmas cards!" Ugh. There goes Nabiki again with her unneeded Brad Pitt jokes.

"I'm so glad you two are finally together!" There's no way I can get mad at Kasumi so I cut in.

"Look, this isn't—!"

Akane starts to speak too. "We weren't—!"

"Ranma…" I see Ryoga standing at the newly formed 'door' at my room. I notice I still haven't let go of Akane and I immediately hop into defense.

"Wh-what? You wanna fight?" I could easily take him on!

Suddenly a purple-haired Shampoo on a bike is beside him with Mousse literally dying from an attempt to hold on to her bike. Then a sword-drawn Kuno appears on the other side. And then a Kodachi. And Cologne. And… Happosai?

"Ranma! Try on this lovely lingerie!" Oh. Figures.

I scoop up Akane and analyze all the people standing before me.

"SAOTOME SECRET TECHNIQUE!" I always love it when I can feel Akane's warmth in my arms.

They all kinda ruined the nice moment with me and Akane alone. But I know that once we find a way to get alone again, I'll make this engagement official.

**Author's Notes:**

AWW! I love the ending I made! xD I wasn't expecting to do that. This is my first shot at typing up a Ranma fanfic that doesn't have any extra characters I made up. WHOA! #claps for self# This is also one of the rare stories I make that are in _present-tense_… Ooooh…. Ahhhhh… I think the only one I can remember that's present-tense is this cute one-shot detective story… Oh well! I've never made any Ranma fanfics that were in first-point of view either… Whoa! This fanfic is a lot of firsts! Creepy… 'cause I've been writing fanfics since I was ten. xD

So… about this… I never really think too much about how Akane feels so I guess I just wanted to give it a try. And I really do love Ranma's ego! I can't help to maybe exaggerate it a bit.

This fanfic came out way more dramatic than I wanted it to be, but that's okay, right? D It's pretty cute, and over the many times I revised it, I don't feel like reading it over and editing it again xD Oh, and sorry about the crappy title. It's really a last moment thing so I only spent a second (literally) thinking about it. xD So I hope you enjoyed this!

_If you didn't know, "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" is this spy movie where these two spies are married but don't know the other's a spy, then they find out and try to kill each other, but then they make up! D_


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